Method of making stocking tops



July 25, 1944. E. ST. PIRRE TAL 2,554,557

M/ATFEEG'EMLE; 3y M7 @www TTV July 25, Y1944. u E, $11 PIERRE ET AL2,354,557

METHOD OF MAKING STOOKING TOPS Filed Aug. l, 1942 n 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented July 25, 1944 UNITED STATE s, PATENT OFFICE mamon oF MAKINGsrocxmf 'ross Eugene St. 'Pierre and Donat H. Fregeolle, Pawtucket, B..I., assignors to Hemphill Company, Centralf Falls, R. 1., a corporationof Massachusetts Appueeuen August 1,1942, serial Ne. 453,2 60

(ci. iis-1) 1 Claim.

The subject matter of this case is an inven-v tion relating to knittedhosiery and method of producing the same. More specifically, theinvention deals with the physical construction of a hosiery top forpurposes of making an anklet and the method of knitting and finishingthat y t0n. l

Anklets have been knitted in which the tops have been ef plain knittedtype, but those tops have, in practically all instances of which we areaware, been rendered self-sustaining by incorporation of elastic yarn insome manner. The elastic yarn has been incorporated under tension andserves to hold the top of the anklet tightly about the ankle, alsoretains the anklet itself in position preventing the top from fallingdown and creating an unsightly and wrinkled appearance. The same hasbeen done with regard to true rib tops although in some instances truerib topped anklets are made without incorporation of elastic yarn. lAccording to the present invention an anklet top is knitted having noelastic yarn incorporated therein but having enough contraction andtendency to remain in contracted state so that it will fit the ankle ofthe wearer tightly, also will remain in position if the anklet is mad ofappropriate length. l

The construction of an anklet top of this type upon a single bank ofneedles makes it unnecessary to resort to ribtype machines thus avoidingtransfer operations or costly and complicated mechanisms such asautomatic type true rib ma chin s ih which a true rib top is firstknitted and hen transfer made to cylinder knitting or Vside of themachine and during knitting of the top portion,- 'a so-called main yarnis fed and will be taken and knitted by all needles employed in theproduction of the stocking top. The resulting'fabric is 'of accordiantype and will have a ribbed appearance' since the auxiliary yarn whichfloats behind intermediate wales draws the 'alternate wales laterallytogether projecting the said intermediate wales to the face of thefabric.

and sewed onV any satisfactory type sewing machine and by using any ofthe well-'known stitches` for thepurpose. In sewing it is only essentialthat` the seam -have 'suilicient elasticity to allow v the top tostretch at that particular point suiiiciently for putting it on over theheel.

'I'he tops are, however, finished before the sewing operation is done.This finishing operation constitutes a drawing out of fabric lengthwiseo and forming it to proper diameter and isccomplain knitting forfinishing the leg and foot ofr f the stocking. Since knitting is on asingle bank i of-needles, it is much easier to knit string work andthereby render the machine operation practically automatic in allrespects.

In knitting the fabric of the top itself, two feeding stations arepreferably employed, one being designated as the main or usual knittingstation of this type of machine and the other being an auxiliary stationat which a single yarn may be fed to selected needles. At the saidauxiliary station every other or appropriate selected needles are raisedand take the auxiliary yarn in their hooks; draw it into a stitch andcast oil vthe previously held loop or loops. This aux iliary yarn may bea yarn finer in diameter than the yarn feeding at the so-called mainstation at that time, according to the better practice,

plished by the usual wetting, steaming and boarding under heat. Afterthe article sare removed from the board, theymay be sewed at anyconvenient time. Since the boarding is done while the top is of a'single thickness, finishing ofthe entire stocking is evenly distributedand itis not vfound necessary to employ greater heat at any one pointthan at another. This obviates any tendency to burn thinner sections asfrequently happens if an article isr finished which has lparts ,ofsingle and other parts of' double thickness.

'The other extreme is also avoided. that is, to

avoid burning the thinner sections, it is not neces- 4, eery tediscontinue nmsning the top befeie the same is dry' and has beensuillciently set. A

Detailed description of the fabric and of one preferred manner in whichthe saine is knitted will be described by referring to the accompanysoing iingersof the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a view of part of a 'stocking knitted iny accordance with theinvention:

Fig. 2 is a-conventional AView showing to a greatly enlarged scale theconstruction of the but that-is not absolutely essential. At the main 55fabric;

latches cleared.

3 is an isometric view wherein the method of tting is illustrated: and

ll'ig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing two yarn feeding stations andthe pathways of needle hooks as they pass thosestations, take yarn anddraw that yarn into knitted stitches.

Referring to Fig. 2, the fabric for the stocking top is knitted of twoyarns, one yarn indicated by numeral I being the heavier and being fedat the main side of the machine. 'l'he lighter yarn l is fed at theso-called auxiliary feeding point and is sometimes termed the accordionyarn. The fabric as here illustrated is merely a fragment cut from thetop and lhas alternate wales .4, I and l and intermediate wales 3, I,'Iland 9. The yarn 2 is drawn into knitted stitches at the alternatewales only, floating over the intermediate ones. 'I'he yarn Iis drawninto knitted stitches at each wale, but in the intermediate wales it isto be noted that there are onlyA loops of yarn I while lin the alternatewales thereare alternating loops o f first one yarn`r and then theother. A certain amount of stitch robbing takes -place so that theultimate'length of each of the wales is the same, thus stitches inintermediate wales are much longer than stitches in alternate wales.Depending upon the length of stitch drawn and upon the tension intheyarns and other features, the fabric winbe dradn together-,laterally sothat a ribbed appearance is realized.

While a 1 x l type rib has been shown byV way Y ofexample, spacing such,as 2 x l, and others may be employed. No selvage has been illus-v tratedin this fragment of the fabric, but a selvage may be formed as aboveexplained, the fabric may be provided with a small outturned welt at thebeginning of each new top, or it may merely be left with a non-selvagededge as subsequent sewing will lock the fabric against ruiming. However,during the finishing operation itis likely that runs may start so aselvage is preferably provided.

In knitting in string work the articles may be separated by pull coursesor by breaking courses and the use of a true selvage makes it easier toseparate the individual stockings without damaging the fabric. I

In Fig. l a stocking having a leg Il and a top generally indicated at Ilhasthat top Il knitted of such length thatit may be folded inwardlyproviding an outer thickness I2 and an inner one I3. The edge of theturned part ofthe top is sewed onf any convenient type of sewing machineand the seam Il does not show from the outside of the fabric. The weltthus formed will have a ribbed.

appearance both inside and outside. The seam must be loose or elasticenough so 'that stretching the top as when putting the same on over theheel is not limited by tightness in the seam itself.

In Fig. 3 several needles and' sinkers have been illustrated at andadjacent the auxiliary stitch drawing point. The auxiliary yarn2 isshown feeding through a convenient feeding finger I5 andvalternateneedles II-are raised to take that yarn in their hooks whileintermediate needles I1 are not so raised. Needles Il only have theirBink'ers are of two types, one lhaving the usual rounded-nibs Il'whilethe other'group of sinkers has nibs Il with inclinededges over whichyarn may be measured. 'Ihe sinkers Il and I9 are alternating as shown inFig `3, that is, if a 1 x 1 arrangement is desired. The sinkers havingnibs Il have short butts 2|- while the regular'sinkers 2 I. As the saidsinkers approach the stitch drawing point at this auxiliary side,regular sinkers are drawn outwardly to a greater extent than the in-.clined nibbed sinkers, the latterremaining at yarn elongating themandimparting to the fabric a certain degree of elasticity andextensibility whichit would not otherwise have. l

In certain instances the sinkers with inclined nibs may follow theneedles which take the yarn 2 rather than preceding them as illustratedherein. The arrangement illustrated is preferred. In certain types ofmachines it may be desirable for other reasons to measure the yarn oversink-y ers having nibs of different type, or it may be ,that the yarnwill not be measured over nibs of sinkers at all. Specialinstrumentalities may be employed for the purpose and in that event, allof these arrangements are contemplated as falling within the scope ofthe invention herein disclosed.

Tension on the yarn 2 is varied in accordance with the length of stitchbeing drawn and in accordance with other factors such as the weight ofthe yarn 2, especially as compared to the socalled main yarn I, anddepending upon the gage of the machine and the desired width of the topas it comes from the machine.

Now referring to Fig. 4 the auxiliary feed is generally indicated at Aand the auxiliary yarn feeding lever IB is shown in position to feedyarn 2. Needle hooks approach ina pathway 22 and those needles which areselected to take the yarn 2 in their hooks will beraised to an elevatedpathway 23 in which they will engage that yarn while the intermediateneedles continue at elevationA engage that yarn behind the hooks and inback.

of needle shanks.: All needles move down to a stitch drawing point 2| asneedle butts are engaged by a suitable stitch drawing cam movable to andfrom active position as desired. There- .'after all needles are raisedso thatthelr hooks nove along at the elevation 22, then'upon approachingthe main feeding station M, they will be raisedl until the elevation 2lis reached, that being an elevation at which needle latches will becleared. Thereafter all'needles take and knit yarn I which is feedingthrough a suitable yarn `feeding lever or finger 26, that being one ofthe usual plurality of such fingers at the main mouthpiece of a machineof this stype. In knitting this stitch drawing point 2l and, of course,sinkers l, aremoved out at appropriate times, inwardly for holding downthe fabric, and for casting off or those having rounded nibsll, havelong lbutts 7s the previously drawn stitches, all as is usuallyaccomplished at a feeding and stitch drawing point in hosiery machines.Thereafter the elevation A22 is reached and the cycle .is repeated.

By knitting a stocking top as herein described a. ribbed appearance isattained and elasticityA and contraction are such that as the fabric isfinished and later turned inwardly and weltedl or sewed, the resultingtop structure serves very effectively for anklets. 'Ihe length ofthe topIl may be varied as desired for different types of anklets, butpreferably it will be of approximately the proportions shown in Fig. 1and the leg portion Il is to be of such length that theV top Il comes atthe smallest portion of the ankle.

'Iv'he fabric is preferably made on a. circular, independent needletypemachineand, of course, may be produced on any other type machinefound convenient for the purpose. In Flg. 3 the line of needles andsinkers is shown straight rather than in the arc of a circle as-wouldnormally be the case. That is merely for convenience of illustration. v

After the fabric is taken from the machine, whether knitted in stringwork or separately as by running on vor dropping ofi individualstockings, it is subjected to a nishing operation such as wetting orsteaming and then boarding on a heated form. The top itself iselongatedv on this form and will be narrowed-down as desired. Aftertheboarding operation and when the stockings are thoroughly dry, thetops may be welted or sewed at any convenient time.

By finishing before sewing the boarding operation is more easily andsatisfactorily carried out. The sewing may be on any convenient type ofsewing machinefor the purpose. Preferably a sewing machine `of Merrowtype is used and the seam is generally known as a blind stitch.

1f desired, a p'icot or folding line may be made at the proper place.That will make folding and welting easier and improve the ornamentaleffect at the edge.

The invention has been described by reference to specific details anddisclosure of one particular embodiment of the same. It is to beunderstood that this disclosure is illustrative and refers to apreferred embodiment only and that the inven.

and knitting a second smaller yarn by drawing it into knitted stitchesat alternate wales in intermediate courses while floating it overintermep diate wales in such a way that the sinker loops are looser thanthe corresponding sinker loops of the other yarn and then turning Athefabric inwardly and sewing the upper edge to the lower'.

edge to form a turned or double weit having a ribbed appearance both onthe inside and outside.

EUGENE ST. PIERRE. DONAT H. FREGEOILE.

